Tribute
by Nightstalcer
Summary: Why did he become an NCIS Agent in the first place. Major spoiler for Season 12 Episode 23.


_What, nobody wrote about it? Seriously. Oh Well, then I guess I have to just get it out. Title says it all, a tribute to Ned Dorneget. Not proof-read, I'm no native and there is some swearing inside. Obviously this is not a happy story either. Hope you apprechiate it._

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Joanna Teague left the tarmac after them, needing some time alone with her son laying in the coffin, being a victim of having done an excellent job as an agent, protecting hundreds of civilians from being vaporized by modified world war two weapons courtesy of Germany.

Director Vance already expressed his condolences and while the CIA definitely had other jurisdiction she swore to find the people that were responsible for Ned's death.

A few tears found their way onto the flag that was still covering his coffin only later when his burial would be held she would get the cocked hat into her possession.

She was proud of her son, even though she was skeptic when he announced that he wanted to follow in her footsteps for a career choice.

She smiled, she still would have to thank him even though it had cost Ned his life in the end. Still another job would have never been satisfying enough for her little Ned, his sense of justice was too big for that.

She left her son in the care of the agents guarding him and let her own agents drive herself to the navy yard.

The drive wasn't long enough to compose herself entirely but the people she went to see knew that she was devastated inside and they understood how hard it was to outlive your only child.

When she entered the bullpen they were there, working quietly, for once no jokes were flying around, the mood was crushing them under the weight of the situation. McGee was typing on his computer, but didn't pay attention as to what he was typing. Bishop had red-rimmed eyes and was currently messaging her husband clearly needing to talk this through. It was the first catastrophe in this job happening directly to her and in that aspect she was still green as a probie.

Gibbs was nowhere to be seen but she concluded that he was with Vance and Ducky currently discussing the mindset of the sickos that there were up against. The bastards used kids as assassins and tried to blow up a hotel just for proving that they could. They were no religious fanatics that fought towards a greater course but imbeciles that wanted to destroy everything that mattered to others. Ned was also bullied in his school years and some days she spent consoling him that there were also good kids out there and that he was just different from them but not bad in any way. It didn't get easier for him when he found out that he liked men over every women but still he would have never decided to join such people and believe their lies about the world he was living in.

She sighed, her attention wandering to the last agent who was sitting in his chair, but not using his computer. In fact, the normally fidgeting and agile man was doing... nothing. He just sat there, stared into space and not even realized that she was standing right there, scrutinizing him without the slightest deflection on her part. He was totally out of it and she knew then that not only had she lost a son today but he lost a person that was important for him.

"Agent Dinozzo?" finally she found the courage to talk to him. It was the reason she came here, declaring war on these terrorists she could have done from her office and saying goodbye to Ned would have to wait one more day at least. She wanted him to have a service to his liking and for that she needed the time to prepare.

He didn't respond immediately but looked up to her, entirely confused.

"If you have a minute..." she began tentatively and he nodded. How could he refuse this request from her, a grieving mother that just lost the most important person in the world? Brief thought strayed to his own, at least she never had to bury her son, it was the other way around for him.

"Let's go to a conference room." He remembered his manners and that this is still a family member of one of his fellow agents and not the enemy, though she technically was both. Him being wary of the agency stemmed from a long time ago undercover op totally gone wrong. Still he was confused as to why she would want to speak with him, Gibbs was only two floor down.

She took a seat and he followed her example.

"I'm very sorry for your loss", he began. She nodded simply.

"Thank you, Agent Dinozzo. I appreciate your kindness but I have to say that this is not the reason I sought out to talk to you." There, she said it, her motive was talking to him, not Gibbs nor the team as having been the last persons Ned worked with before he died the death of a true hero but him, Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo, who wasn't even there in Egypt, was could do nothing but listen and watch these gruesome images from MTAC. She should talk to McGee.

"Although I am the senior field agent it was agent McGee who was there with your son..." he began and she smiled. He was clearly uncomfortable with this conversation and she understood.

"It has nothing to do with that and I do not blame you." She had the feeling he needed to hear this. She didn't know much of him, but the little she knew that he was an exceptional agent who also had the tendencies to burden himself with the guilt of things gone wrong.

"Then I do not understand why you would want to talk to me.", he tried to reason with her, clearly thinking now that she was just grieving, just being confused by the fact that her son was gone.

"I wanted to tell you that Ned thought highly of you. So high that he wanted nothing more than to join this agency if there had more of these agents. He was wrong, you are an one-of-a-kind-agent, Agent Dinozzo."

He couldn't understand.

"Why would he think that of me, Mrs. Teague? Why would you think that of me?" It was the events that led to this dialogue that had him unable to get his masks in place to hide his insecurity with his own self-worth.

She took a hold of his arm, getting him to look into her eyes deeply.

"A few years ago, I was still in the main office of the CIA here in DC when we got word of an unsanctioned op that involved around an arms dealer with international contacts and one that was under our own protection. Our agent that was assigned to be there partly undercover was pissed at that agent because he managed to confirm everything we searched for years in a few months while being the senior agent of his team, while staying full-time undercover with said arms dealers daughter while not having any backup or support to help him. When our agent busted him and nearly took his life and he still managed to survive I was intrigued. I told my son who was finishing college by the time about you, not the details of course, as it was all need to know, but when he heard that NCIS agents were so good that they could trick one of our best field operatives he wanted nothing more than to belong to them, wanted to be a tough as that agent.

We watched you for a while, learned that you turned down Rota for the sake of your old and new boss and his slightly vague recollection of things of the past decade and helped him rebuild the team. And then you got send away after your director who trapped you inside that awful undercover mission died on your watch you still did your job and Ned was proceeding towards FLET-C to become an agent.

When he finally did and met you, it didn't exactly help that you were also that good looking." At that, she actually smirked. Tony didn't say anything yet, was too overwhelmed by the revelation.

"Anyway I know he told you he projected himself as another person, confident and sure of himself. He told you he called himself in these moments Geroy Lipps but really his alias should have been Donthany Nodizzo. Agent Dinozzo, you are the reason Ned wanted to be a federal agent and why he wanted to be with NCIS even though there was always a spot empty waiting for him on the top of CIA. Your dealing with all the obstacles that were thrown in your way made my son to the person he is now – a hero that died the death of a hero, a hero that had the honor to have known his own superhero – you."

Tony couldn't speak, tears were springing in his eyes and no words came out. It wasn't needed, she only took his hand and whispered.

"To Ned – may he not be forgotten."

"To Ned – he was a great agent and we will find them and do them justice." That was the only thing he could do now.

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 _There, there has to be a reason for Ned to join NCIS and here it is, maybe we will see why that really happened on Tuesday, maybe we won't ever know._


End file.
